Befriending Elsa
by CrueFan21
Summary: [Frozen AU] For as long as she could remember, the castle in Arendelle was an unknown place to Anna. Who was the mysterious queen who lived there? By chance, Anna ends up befriending Queen Elsa, the ruler of Arendelle, through whom she comes to terms with her identity, and in return, helps the reclusive queen come to terms with her own.
1. Chapter 1

Befriending Elsa

 **AN: This is my first Frozen AU. It pretty much follows the same timeline, being set in the same century, but with some major differences. For instance, Anna and Elsa will not be related in this story. This may seem a little awkward at first but bear with me it will make more sense as the story goes along. Rest assured, there will be plenty of friendly fluff between the two in later chapters. Also, Anna is a commoner in this story. If you have any questions regarding any changes, let me know, I'll be happy to answer them.**

* * *

As Anna walked down the cobblestone streets of Arendelle, she looked up at the castle that towered above her. For her entire life, the castle had been a mystery to her. No one knew why the queen of Arendelle never came out. It was almost as if she didn't exist. But Anna knew that this wasn't true. Whenever she would walk by the gates, she could see someone looking out from the window of one of the towers. It was as if the queen, whatever her name was, was watching her. Anna often dreamt what it would be like to live a life of royalty. It would be impressive to wear fancy clothes, have people waiting on you hand and foot, and getting to rule over an entire kingdom. Who's to say if it was really like that though? All the things that Anna knew about royalty came from the books she read. For all she knew, it could be a very boring life. Either way, it couldn't possibly be any more boring than her own life. Anna lived alone with her mother, in the village of Arendelle. Anna's father had died years ago when she was a child, leaving the two of them to make ends meet. Her mother worked as a seamstress, saving every coin she earned on her and Anna. They were very poor, but still Anna was grateful to have a roof over her head. Still, one day she hoped to get out there and explore the world. There was nothing for her in the kingdom of Arendelle. The only thing interesting about Arendelle was the castle, but the gates were closed to the public.

Late one afternoon, as Anna was taking her walk, she noticed a sleigh being pulled by a reindeer driving up to the castle gates. The man driving the carriage pulled back on the reins, signaling the reindeer to stop. He waited for a minute, expecting the guards to come and open the gates for him. In the meantime, Anna walked up to talk to him. She had seen the man coming and going from the castle many times. He didn't look like someone from the upper class. His clothes were raggedy and covered with dirt. But every time he came to the castle, he had a bunch of packages on his sled. Anna struck up a conversation.

"Hi there," she said.

The man looked at her, giving her a polite smile. "Hey," he said.

"What's you got there?" Anna said, pointing to the packages in the back of the sleigh.

"Oh, just some ice. I make a delivery to the castle once a week," the man explained.

"Ice?" Anna asked, confused.

"I'm an ice harvester. I harvest ice and then sell it to people."

"Wow! You sell ice to the queen? What's she like?" Anna asked. She jumped at the chance of getting to know what the mysterious Queen of Arendelle was like.

The man sighed. He was getting annoyed with this young woman.

"I don't know," he said. "I never see her."

"So, you just deliver ice to her every week, but you never actually see her?" Anna asked.

"No," the man replied.

"That's weird. I'd love to meet her. I bet she's really pretty," Anna said.

"No telling," the man said. "Look, could you please leave? I got to unload all of these crates, and I really don't need someone distracting me."

Well, so much for that conversation. The man clearly didn't care for her company, so the only thing Anna could do was leave.

"Oh, sorry to bother you. I'm Anna by the way," Anna said, reaching out her hand for the man to shake.

The man rolled his eyes. "Kristoff Bjorgmann," he said.

"Nice to meet you, Kristoff," Anna said. "I'll see you around!"

"Not likely," Kristoff said.

The guards had arrived and began opening the gates. Anna watched in awe as the reindeer pulled Kristoff's sleigh into the castle grounds. Within seconds, the gates were closed again, leaving Anna to watch as the guards returned to their posts.

The encounter with Kristoff had only further intensified Anna's curiosity about the castle and the queen. How interesting it was that the queen made orders for ice, but she never saw the man who delivered it. Anna had mixed feelings about Kristoff. He was very standoffish without much kindness to him. On the other hand, he was a very attractive man. Moreover, he seemed to be around her age. Oh, what was she kidding. A man like Kristoff didn't have time for her. He was much too busy. It was pointless even talking to him.

As Anna walked away from the gates, she gazed up at the window of one of the towers. There she could see a woman staring back at her. It was only for a few seconds, before the curtains fell back over the window, concealing what was inside. Anna didn't get a good look at the woman who was watching her, but she could tell that the woman wasn't old, but rather young.

Could this woman be the Queen of Arendelle? Anna didn't know much about her, other than the fact that she was extremely reclusive. If this was the queen, why would a young woman want to keep herself locked up all the time? Mysteries upon mysteries surrounded the Arendelle castle. Who knew if anyone would ever learn anything.


	2. A Chance Encounter

Chapter 2:

A Chance Encounter

* * *

When Anna returned home that evening, she told her mother about getting a glimpse of the woman. Anna's mother, Irene, didn't think much of what her daughter saw. In her opinion, it could have been anyone looking out the window, but she didn't want to disappoint Anna. The two ate dinner together, during which Anna was full of talk about the queen and the castle.

"Can you imagine what it's like in there? There's probably gold and silver everywhere. I bet the queen herself has a bed embedded with jewels," Anna said.

"Anything is possible," Irene said. "But we're unlikely to ever find out."

"I wonder if I could ask the guards to let me in for a while," Anna wondered.

Irene put down her fork, giving her daughter a cold stare. "Anna, don't even think about it. No one has set foot in that castle in years. There's no way they would let you inside."

"But maybe if I asked nicely, they'd let me in," Anna suggested. "I could ask that man I met today, Kristoff. Maybe he'll let me in."

Irene had grown tired of talking about the subject with Anna. So, she suggested a different topic.

"Have you finished knitting that dress you were working on earlier?" Irene asked.

"I'm almost done," Anna replied.

"Almost? Anna, I need that dress finished by Thursday. That's two days from now."

"Ok. I'll finish it right after supper," Anna promised.

As promised, Anna resumed her duties sewing the dress. It was going to be sold to a middle-class family in the kingdom. They had been customers of her mother's for many years. Although they didn't pay much, Irene was grateful for their patronage, and was always happy to serve them. Around midnight, Anna finished sewing the dress. She fell asleep in her chair with the dress laying on her lap. Irene came into the room, smiling at the sight before her. Anna had kept her word and managed to sew a fine dress. Irene knew that she had taught her daughter well. During that night, Anna dreamed of the mysterious queen.

* * *

In the morning after breakfast, Anna went over to the castle again to stand outside the gates. When she gazed up at the window where she saw the young woman before, she didn't see anyone this time. Anna thought hard to herself on how she could get inside the castle without anybody realizing it. As she pondered the possibilities, a carriage pulled up to the gates. It was another deliveryman, but his method of travel was much fancier than Kristoff's. As the man waited outside the gate, Anna snuck around back, and looked under the carriage. It was the perfect hiding place. Without giving it a second thought, Anna crawled under the carriage, and held onto the undersides. No sooner did she sneak under the carriage, the gates opened. Anna felt her heart skip a beat. She was going inside the castle! The carriage pulled into the courtyard. Anna waited a few minutes, until the man driving the carriage was preoccupied with unloading the crates from the back.

Then, she slipped out from under the carriage, ran to the front door, and quietly snuck inside. So far, she hadn't been seen by anybody. Anna planned on keeping it that way. However, the moment she stepped inside the castle, Anna felt a wave of emotion overcome her. It was more marvelous than she ever imagined. The entire entrance hall seemed like it could fit into twenty houses! All along the walls were portraits of people, the hard wood floors were shining brightly like diamonds, and the grand staircase before her truly was fit for a queen. Anna was so busy taking in what she was seeing, that she almost didn't hear someone approaching from the room on her right. Without thinking, Anna dashed up the staircase, heading as far away from the voice as she could. She kept running for several minutes, not caring where she was going, only that she had to get far away so that she wouldn't get caught. When she came to the fourth floor, she heard more voices coming from around the end of the corridor. Anna saw a door on her right and decided that she had to hide. In a blink of an eye, Anna snuck quietly into the room, closing the door behind her. She listened as the voices came closer. She could tell that it was two men talking as they walked down the hallway. When the voices were out of range, Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned around and looked at the room before her. If she thought that the entrance hall was impressive, this room was double that. Before her was a large bed situated next to several bookshelves. The shelves contained hundreds of books, more than Anna had ever seen in her life. She walked up to them, gazing at titles on the bindings. Along the wall next to the bookshelves was a desk with several pieces of a paper, a bottle of ink, and a quill. Anna took a seat at the desk and picked up the quill. For no particular reason, Anna decided to write her name on one of the pieces of paper. She had never seen such fine pieces of paper before. Then again, the paper that Anna usually wrote on was very cheap.

As she explored the rest of the room, she came upon a dresser with a mirror in front of it. On the dresser, were various items. There was a hairbrush, makeup, and even powder. Anna looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw someone standing behind her. It was a young woman! The same woman that she saw staring at her from the window.

Anna spun around to see the woman face to face. When she did, the woman cowered in fear.

"What are you doing here?" the woman cried. "Get out now!"

Anna knew that she was in trouble. She could tell by the woman's tone of voice that she was not welcome. Anna quickly ran out of the room, and down the staircase. As she neared the front door, she encountered a heavy man, who appeared to be a servant.

"What on Earth are you doing here?" he cried.

Anna didn't bother answering. Instead, she dashed out of the castle, and ran towards the gate, which to her fortune, was still open due to the carriage that she rode in on still being present.

When two of the guards saw her, they immediately drew their weapons. "Hey!"

Anna stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't dare take another step, because she knew the men would surely open fire if she did.

Anna raised her hands in surrender, before trying to explain herself. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't be here. I was just leaving."

"You're not going anywhere. You are trespassing on private property. That is a criminal offence. One that requires the queen to deal with," one of the guards said.

Anna was speechless. She knew that she messed up big time. Now she was going to pay the price.


	3. The Queen

Chapter 3

The Queen

Anna was led by two guards into a large room, where she was to remain until the queen came. Anna sat down in the chair that she was instructed to sit in, wondering what would happen to her. I'm such a fool, she said to herself. I should have known that I would have gotten caught. Anna couldn't begin to imagine what her punishment would be. Breaking and entering into the castle of Arendelle was probably one of the worst crimes one could commit against the kingdom. Would the queen accept her apology? She didn't mean any harm. Her curiosity simply got the better of her, that's all. But a large part of Anna told her that the queen was unlikely to see it that way. If someone broke into someone else's home, that person should be treated for what they are: a trespasser. Anna was indeed just that.

Suddenly, the doors opened, and a woman walked in, surrounded by six or seven guards. Anna felt the eyes almost bulge out of her skull when she saw who the woman was. It was the same woman that she had just encountered! The young woman whose room she had entered. This woman was the queen of Arendelle.

Anna was amazed by her appearance. She wore a light blue dress, embroidered with what appeared to be snowflakes. Her long blonde hair was braided neatly and rested on her right shoulder. On her hands she wore turquoise satin gloves, adding to her regal appearance. She approached Anna with a stern look on her face.

Without thinking twice, Anna jumped up, and bowed to the queen.

"Your Majesty, I'm so sorry for entering your home without your permission. I was just curious to see what the inside of the castle looked like, that's all. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.

Anna gazed up at the queen, who continued to eye her with a stoic expression. It was an awkward moment of silence in the room before she spoke.

"Breaking and entering is a serious offence," the queen said. "What's your name?"

"Anna," Anna stammered.

For the first time, the queen smiled. "Anna." She held up a piece of paper, which contained Anna's handwritten name on it. "As if I didn't know already."

"How old are you, Anna?"

"18," Anna replied.

"18? And you're breaking into the Queen of Arendelle's castle? I have to say that's not only criminal, but childish as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Anna agreed.

"Do you want me to throw her in the dungeons, Queen Elsa," asked one of the guards.

Anna's heart skipped a beat. The dungeons! Oh, how terrible! What would her mother say? And, Elsa was the queen's name. How interesting.

"No, Edward, I will deal with this young woman myself," Elsa replied.

Elsa walked closer to Anna, examining her every feature as if she were a prized jewel. "So, Anna, do you have a family?"

"Yes. I live with my mother," Anna answered.

"And what would your mother say if she knew that you broke into my home," Elsa asked.

"She would be very upset," Anna answered. She was unsure where this was going.

"Indeed, she would be. But, since you're young, and you are remorseful for what you've done, I'm going to let you off easily."

"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty. I promise I'll never come back to the castle ever again," Anna exclaimed.

"I wasn't finished," Elsa cut in. The stern look on her face more prevalent than ever.

"I'm sorry," Anna said.

"Instead of throwing you in the dungeons, which is what I should do, I've decided to give you a more lenient punishment. For the next month, you are to work in my castle as a servant. You will do whatever I say, and in return, I will grant you a pardon. Are we clear?"

This was all happening so fast. Anna didn't know what to think. One minute she thought she was going to be thrown in the dungeons, the next she was going to be working in the queen's castle as her servant!

Knowing that the only answer she could give to Elsa's question, and that was yes.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll just need to let my mother know first…

"You will not be telling your mother anything," Elsa cut in.

Anna was startled by the sudden outburst. The entire time Elsa had remained calm, and suddenly this happened.

"You are not to tell anyone about what you see here, especially me. Do I make myself clear?"

Anna gazed into Queen Elsa's sapphire blue eyes, which shone with fierceness.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I won't tell a soul. But what should I tell my mother if she asked where I am?"

Elsa smiled. "You're are a smart girl, Anna. I'm sure you'll figure something out. After all, you came up with the clever idea of sneaking into my castle. Hitching a ride underneath the carriage, that's pretty impressive, but foolish."

Elsa turned to the guards, who had been watching the entire exchange. "Guards, please escort Ms. Anna off the premises."

"You are to arrive here tomorrow no later than 7:00 AM. Good day," Elsa said.

Anna was escorted off the grounds, before being given the instruction to return first thing in the morning. When the gates closed behind her, Anna could hear her own heart beating out of her chest. She had met the Queen of Arendelle, something she always wanted. However, Anna got more than what she bargained for in working for her.

* * *

 **A/N: And the relationship between Anna and Elsa begins! I thought this was a clever way to have the two meet. And if Elsa seems very cold, and domineering in this chapter, don't' worry, she'll lighten up in time. Thank you all for the reviews so far! To those of you who are following the story, but haven't reviewed yet, please, please do so. I would love to hear your thoughts. Also, to the guest reviewer "AU Over Canon" I get it, you would prefer things were different than they were in the actual movie, please stop leaving reviews telling me so. Anyway, take care everyone!**


	4. The First Week

Chapter 4:

The First Week

On the first day of Anna's new job, if you could call it that, was a strenuous one. Anna told her mother that she had gotten a job working at the florist in town and would be working every day from 7:00 to 5:00. She felt bad lying to her mother, but what else could she do? Elsa told her not to tell anyone about what she was really doing. Upon arriving at the castle, Anna was given a uniform to wear. It was much better looking than her usual attire, but it screamed of "servitude" nonetheless. Anna had to quickly learn all the ins and outs of working at the castles such as where the kitchen was, mealtimes, how often certain rooms were cleaned, things of that nature. It was hard work, no doubt about it. At the end of the day, Anna's hands were numb from all the cleaning that she had done. But mealtimes were the worst. Anna had no idea how to cook, so she had to learn. The other servants were kind and patient with her, willing to teach her everything they knew. Out of all of them, Elsa liked Kai and Gerda the best. They were very nice people, and she was happy to work with them. In the first week, Anna hardly saw Queen Elsa. The only times that she saw her were when she brought Elsa tea or came into her room to change her sheets. In those times, Elsa was very standoffish. She simply said a word or two, before indulging herself in a book or other queenly matters. Anna often thought of engaging in casual conversation with Elsa, but her conscious told her that it would be pointless. Elsa wasn't interested in being friends, she only saw Anna as her temporary servant. Still, the more she worked in the castle, the more intrigued Anna was of Elsa. Even now that she knew a little more about her, Elsa was still very mysterious. She rarely came out of her room, and when she did, it was only for an hour or two at the most. Even stranger, Elsa always wore the same satin gloves, even when she was eating. Maybe she had a bad case of germaphobia? Anna thought. Who knows? Elsa wouldn't likely tell her if she asked.

One afternoon, after Anna finished mopping the entrance hall, Kai told her that Elsa requested that a cup of tea be brought to her room. Anna prepared the tea, being mindful to bring enough sugar. When she knocked on the door to Elsa's room, she was given the signal by the queen to come inside.

Anna entered the room, while holding the tray with the teapot, and a glass. Elsa was situated at her desk, writing intensively. She didn't even bother to glance up at Anna as she came in.

"I brought you your tea, Your Majesty," Anna said.

"Very well. Just put the tray on the corner of the desk," Elsa said, still looking at the piece of paper that she was writing on.

Anna did as she was told, watching as Elsa concentrated on the task at hand.

"Would you like me to pour you a glass?" she asked.

"That would be fine," Elsa said.

Anna picked up the teapot, gently pouring the warm tea into the glass. When it was fully, she picked up the glass, and sat it beside Elsa.

"Thank you," Elsa said.

"You're welcome. Is there anything else that you need?" Anna asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. The fire in the fireplace is too hot. Please put out the fire. My hands are sweating profusely."

Anna walked towards the fireplace at the far corner of the room before she got an idea.

"If I may make a suggestion, Your Majesty, if your hands are too hot, why don't you take off your gloves? I'm sure you'll be much cooler then," Anna suggested.

Elsa's quill stopped moving. She gazed up at Anna for the first time since Anna entered the room. The same stern look on her face as when Anna first met her.

"I'm sorry, but are you queen of Arendelle?" Elsa asked.

Anna knew that she had made a mistake.

"I said…please put out the fire," Elsa said sternly.

Anna took a pitcher of water, and extinguished the fire, before returning to get the tray.

"Anything else, Your Majesty?" Anna asked.

"That will be all. I will ring for you if I need anything else," Elsa said.

Anna walked out of Elsa's room, closing the door behind her. She returned to her chores, cleaning, and preparing dinner. When the clock hit 5:00, Anna said her goodbyes to Kai, Gerda, and the rest of the servants. Before she left however, Kai stopped her.

"Ms. Anna, before you leave, Queen Elsa would like to see you for a moment."

Anna wondered what it could be this time. She walked up the staircase to Elsa's bedroom, where she found the young queen painting a picture.

This time when Anna walked in, Elsa turned around to greet her.

"Anna, I have run out of ink for my quill. Before you come to work tomorrow, please pick me up some more at the general store. On my desk is the money for the ink. That will be all," Elsa said.

Anna collected the money on Elsa's desk, before watching Elsa continue her painting. On a small bench beside her, were various oils. From the looks of it, Elsa was finishing up her painting. It was a painting of a tree with a little girl running around it.

"That's very good," Anna commented.

Elsa glanced at her. "Thank you," she said.

"I love paintings. I wish I could paint some of my own, but I don't have the money for oils. Not to mention, I'm not very talented," Anna said.

Elsa nodded, continuing to paint her picture.

"I think my favorite painter has to be Rembrandt. His work is amazing! It's incredible how a person can paint something so beautiful," Anna said.

Elsa put down her brush and turned to her. "Shouldn't you be heading home by now?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I apologize. I just wanted to tell you what a great job you were doing with your painting."

As Anna started to leave, Elsa called out to her again. "Anna," she said.

Anna turned around to face Elsa. "Please join me tomorrow at noon for tea. Bring two glasses this time," Elsa said.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Anna said.

What was this all about? For the past week, Elsa had been incredibly standoffish towards her, and now she was inviting her to tea. The more she interacted with Elsa, the stranger she seemed.

* * *

 **A/N: A breakthrough! Anna and Elsa will be having tea together. There's a still a lot of ground to cover before they become close friends as Elsa is still very aloof, but it'll be worth the read I promise. And I know that Elsa didn't have a fireplace in her room in the story, I just felt like adding one. And thank you to all the reviews so far! Please keep them coming! Followers, I'd love to hear your thoughts!**


	5. Tea with Elsa

Chapter 5:

Tea with Elsa

* * *

The very next morning, Anna woke up bright and early to go to the general store to buy some ink for Elsa. So far, her mother hadn't questioned her too much about where she was going every day. Anna hoped that it would remain that way. At least until her time working at the castle was up. After purchasing the ink, Anna went to the castle, where she quickly made a batch of tea to take up to Elsa. Anna was excited to see what was going to unfold today. It was amazing to think that she was going to have tea with the queen of Arendelle. What would they talk about? Would she learn anything new about Elsa? Well, one thing at a time. As Anna entered Elsa's room, she saw the queen sitting at her desk, reading. Anna smiled as she greeted her.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. I have the ink that you requested as well as your tea."

"Splendid. Put the tray down over here, and hand me the ink."

Anna did as she was told and watched as Elsa unscrewed he cap on the bottle of ink and placed it on the desk in front of her.

"Thank you. I have a lot of writing to do today, so I needed the ink. Please, pour the tea," Elsa instructed.

Anna poured two glasses of tea, giving one to Elsa, and the other for herself. Elsa walked over to the other side of the room and brought over another chair with her.

Anna sat down, taking a small sip from her glass. Elsa did the same, watching Anna intently as she did so. There was an awkward moment of silence between the two. For the longest time, neither of them said a word. Truth be told, as excited as Anna was to be having tea with Elsa, she didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Elsa would be the one to break the silence.

"So how was your first week?" she asked.

"Fine, Your Majesty. I think I understand how everything works around here," Anna said.

"Very good. Kai and Gerda tell me that you're doing a fine job," Elsa mentioned.

"Thank you. They are such great people," Anna admitted.

"Indeed. I've known them since I was a child," Elsa said.

Anna took another sip of her tea, wondering what Elsa would say next.

"So, what did you tell your mother about where you were going every day?" Elsa asked.

"I told her that I got a job working as a florist," Anna answered.

"Ah, I see. Do you like flowers?"

"I love flowers," Anna exclaimed.

"I do as well. Unfortunately, I never get to see any."

"Why is that?" Anna asked.

Elsa gave her that all too familiar stern look, which told Anna that she was out of line.

"It's none of your concern," she said.

"Ok. Would you like another cup of tea?" Anna asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, I would," Elsa said, holding out her glass.

Anna picked up the teapot, pouring Elsa another glass of tea, but as she leaned the teapot forward, her hand slipped, and she spilled the tea all over the desk.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm so sorry, Your Majesty!"

Elsa stood up, examining the spilled tea all over her desk. She sighed before removing the important items. When she was finished, she turned to Anna. "It's fine, Anna. Accidents happen."

Anna couldn't believe her ears. She thought Elsa was going to tear her hair out, but instead she was understanding. Wow.

"Please, sit down," Elsa insisted.

Anna took her seat again, watching as Elsa poured the tea this time. Anna's eyes were fixated on Elsa's finely made satin gloves. Why did she wear them all the time? That couldn't possibly be comfortable.

Anna looked at the bookshelves to the left of her, admiring how many books Elsa had stored away. She thought that would be a conversation starter.

"Did you read all these books?" she asked.

"No. I just keep them to impressive my visitors," Elsa sarcastically remarked.

"There sure are a lot of them," Anna observed.

"Some of them were my fathers. When he died, I inherited them," Elsa explained.

This was the first time Elsa had mentioned anything about either of her parents. They must have not died very long ago, seeing as how young Elsa was.

"Your father must have been a very scholarly man," Anna said.

"Oh, he was. He was a very intelligent man. Not to mention an excellent ruler. I miss him and my mother every day."

This was getting to be a touchy subject. Anna didn't dare ask any personal questions. Instead, she chose to bring up another subject.

"How long have you been painting?"

"Since I was a child. It's a very relaxing hobby of mine. It takes my mind off the stress of being queen," Elsa explained.

"I would love to paint," Anna said.

Elsa took a sip of her tea, staring at Anna in the process. After she finished her glass, she stood up, walked over to the other side of the room, and carried over a canvas. She brought over the bench that contained the oils and brushes that Anna saw her using yesterday as well.

"Well, today is your lucky day," Elsa said.

"You mean it? You'll let me paint?" Anna asked in disbleif.

"Well, you said you wanted to do it. Why not start now?" Elsa said.

Anna slowly walked over to Elsa, who held a brush out in front for her to take. Anna picked up the brush in one hand, examining the many oils on the bench. She dipped her brush in green and began the first stroke of the brush on the canvas. Elsa watched closely as Anna painted a meadow with flowers.

"That's pretty good for your first time," Elsa commented. "Painting is a delicate craft. Not everyone has the talent."

"Oh, this is nowhere near as good as your painting yesterday, Your Majesty," Anna confessed.

"Don't be so modest. You've done a nice job. I think I'll have this one framed," Elsa stated.

"Really? You'd hang up my painting? But it's not that good," Anna pointed out.

"Well, I say it is, and if I like it, then I wish for it to be hung up. Now, we've spent enough time lollygagging around. It's time for you to get back to work," Elsa ordered.

"Oh, Ok. I enjoyed spending time with you," Anna said. "We should do this again sometime."

Elsa didn't say anything. Instead, she returned to her desk, where she started writing.

Anna knew that this was her cue to leave. She picked up the tray with the glasses and the teapot and started to leave the room.

As she left, however, Elsa called back to her.

"Anna," she said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"I enjoyed this as well. Let's do this again tomorrow," Elsa said.

Anna smiled. "Ok. Sounds like a plan."

"Oh, and Anna," Elsa called out again. "Please stop calling me, Your Majesty. Just call me Elsa."

* * *

 **A/N: The seeds of friendship have been planted. Now the relationship will bloom! Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming. I love hearing what you have to say.**


	6. Touchy Subject

Chapter 6:

Touchy Subject

* * *

The next day with Elsa went well. Anna enjoyed their conversations about books, paintings, and life inside the castle. Of course, Anna was sure to keep to her duties as servant as well. It wasn't long before she found that life working in the castle wasn't really a chore, but a reward of some kind. Now, she wouldn't dare tell Elsa that. The queen might toughen up her punishment. Late one afternoon, a knock came at the castle door. Since Anna was in the vicinity of the entrance hall, she went to answer it.

When she did, she saw Kristoff Bjorgmann, the man who she met a few weeks earlier.

"Why, hello there," Anna greeted.

Kristoff was surprised to see her. He almost forgot what he was going to say.

"Hello! I didn't know you worked here," he said.

"Oh, it's only temporary. It's a long story," Anna explained.

"Right. Well, I have a shipment of ice to deliver to the castle," Kristoff said.

"Great! I'll go tell Kai," Anna said.

She rushed out to fetch Kai, who was in the kitchen preparing lunch. Kai escorted Kristoff to the cellar, where the shipment of ice would be stored. Anna watched eagerly as Kristoff unloaded the sleigh. She was interested in his work.

"Is your job hard?" she asked.

"It can be," Kristoff answered. "It does take some skill."

"Do you like it?"

"Oh, yeah. Ice is my life," Kristoff said.

"So do you harvest your own ice?"

Kristoff paused in his work to address Anna face to face. "You ask a lot of questions for a servant," he said.

"Hey! I'm just curious, that's all," Anna exclaimed.

"So I can tell," Kristoff said.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work. It was nice talking to you."

"Likewise," Kristoff muttered, focusing on his work.

Anna left the cellar to rejoin the rest of the servants, who were washing the windows in the dining hall. Afterwards, it was time for Elsa's afternoon tea. As usual, Anna was tasked with the one to bring her tea. When she came into her room, she saw Elsa over by her dresser, putting makeup on.

"Tea is here!" Anna called out.

"Thank you. Just put it on my desk, and I'll have some in a minute," Elsa instructed.

Anna wandered over to Elsa's dresser, watching closely as Elsa put on her makeup. She was so delicate, so regal, Anna wished she could be like that.

"You look very pretty," Anna commented.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you. I believe a lady should always look her best, even if she never leaves the castle."

"Now, let's have some tea."

Anna poured tea in each of their cups. The two talked for a while about life inside the castle, and Anna told Elsa what it was like growing up in the village.

"It was tough, but it wasn't all bad. I had some friends to play with. I remember in the summer how we used to go swim in the lake. That was so much fun. Unfortunately, I don't hear from them anymore. They're all busy with their jobs."

"I see," Elsa said.

"So it's nice that I have a new friend to talk too," Anna said, referring to Elsa.

Elsa put down her cup, maintaining her regal appearance. "I am your queen, Anna, not your friend. Please don't get the two confused."

Anna was a little hurt by the comment, but she knew that Elsa was right. After all, Anna did break into her home. Why would Elsa want to be her friend? She should be grateful that Elsa was kind enough to have tea with her.

"So, I talked to Kristoff today. He's the man who delivers you ice," Anna said. "He's a nice man. I like him."

"Do you now," Elsa said. "He always seemed a bit standoffish to me."

"Oh, he's just shy. I can tell deep down that he's a sweetheart. He just needs to come out of his shell a little, that's all."

"Speaking of someone who needs to come out of their shell, what do you say we go for a walk in the village?" Anna asked.

Elsa's eyes widened. "No. I never go outside."

"It'll only be for a short walk, besides, no one will know it's you…

"I said no!" Elsa cried. "I told you we're not friends, so stop pretending like we are, and get back to work!"

Anna stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving, she turned around to give Elsa a final message.

"You know, maybe you'd be a little happier if you actually tried to make friends. But maybe you like being miserable, so why bother?"

Anna slammed the door, leaving Elsa alone to her thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter. The next one will be longer. I just wanted to give you all something since it's been a long time since the last update. Elsa is a tough nut to crack, but eventually she'll come out of her shell. Anyway, thank you all for the reviews. Keep them coming!"**


	7. Elsa's Secret

Chapter 7:

Elsa's Secret

* * *

When Anna arrived for work the next day, she was told by Kai to go upstairs to Elsa's bedroom. Apparently, Elsa had something important to tell her. Upon entering the bedroom, Elsa greeted Anna warmly.

"Hello, Anna. I've been thinking about what you said, and you're right. It would be good for me to go outside for a little while," Elsa said.

Anna was skeptical at first. What brought this on? Surely her words couldn't have changed Elsa overnight. She continued to listen.

"I decided to give you the day off today, and the two of us can go for a walk in the town square instead. Just give me a minute to get ready. You can wait outside my room in the meantime."

"Ok," Anna said. She left the room, leaving Elsa to prepare for their trip into town. This was so strange. Elsa's sudden desire to leave the castle that she'd called her home all her life and go for a walk with a commoner. This wasn't like her at all. But maybe she should be open-minded. After all, Elsa was being very nice this morning. A few minutes later, Elsa emerged from her room, wearing a long brown hooded robe.

"Well," she said.

"Umm. It's pretty warm outside. Are you sure you want to wear that?" Anna asked.

"I wasn't asking how I look. I was asking if we're ready to go!" Elsa snapped.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go," Anna quickly replied.

The two women exited the castle, making their way through the streets of Arendelle. It was very lively in the town square today. There were large crowds of people everywhere. Anna stood close by Elsa's side. She could tell that the queen was very nervous being out in public. Elsa kept her head ducked low, hoping that no one would recognize her. Deep down she knew that that was impossible, seeing as how she had never shown her face in town before. The people of Arendelle had no idea what their queen looked like.

As they walked along the streets, Anna saw a shopping cart that she liked. She stopped to look at the merchandise that was carried on the cart, assuming that Elsa would stop as well. However, Elsa didn't see Anna stop, and continued walking among the crowd. By the time Anna noticed, Elsa was lost in the crowd.

"Elsa, Elsa!" she called. Anna couldn't see her. There were too many people. Meanwhile, Elsa kept moving among the people, hoping that she'd see Anna eventually. After several minutes of walking, Elsa started to feel overwhelmed. There were too many people around her. Elsa ducked her head lower, trying to block out the large masses, but suddenly, she tripped, and fell onto the cobblestone streets. The people around her continued walking, ignoring how she was scared out of her mind. Elsa slowly stood up, and pushed her way through the people, and into an isolated alleyway.

A little later, Anna stumbled upon the queen lying in the alleyway, clearly distressed.

"Elsa, what happened? I lost you," Anna said. From the look on Elsa's face, Anna could tell that she had a panic attack. Inside, Anna cursed herself. She should have known this would have happened.

"I'm so sorry, Elsa. Here, let's get you out of here," Anna said, gently coaxing Elsa out of the alleyway.

Anna bought Elsa some water to help calm her nerves. They took a different route back to the palace, one that wasn't as crowded.

"I'm really sorry that I lost you back there," Anna apologized. "This whole thing was stupid idea."

Elsa brushed her off. "No apology needed."

"You used to get out, right?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, a long time ago."

"What happened?"

"How should I know? I didn't keep track of the time," Elsa spat.

"Well, I've got one place that I'd like to show you. It's quiet, and it's not too far from here," Anna said.

"Very well," Elsa said.

* * *

Anna led Elsa to an isolated location in the outskirts of the kingdom. It was a small quarry, one that Anna loved to come to when she needed time to think. There was no one in sight, it was just the two of them.

Anna sat down on a slab of rock, and Elsa sat opposite of her. The queen pulled down her hood, revealing her whole head for the first time since they were at the palace.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Anna said. "I come here to think a lot. You know, when I get overwhelmed. It calms me down."

"Why did you bring me here?" Elsa

"I just wanted to share this place with you. You seemed really anxious back there, and I thought this place would calm you down a little."

Elsa looked around the quarry, admiring the rock formations, and the large pond in front of them. She had to admit, it was pretty.

"It is nice," Elsa admitted.

"I'm sorry I said what I said the other day," Anna said. "You don't deserve that. You have your reasons for not wanting to go outside, and I should respect that."

Elsa sighed. "You did nothing wrong, Anna. It was me that screwed up. I miss being outside."

Anna wasn't going to pry into Elsa's life why she never went outside, but a small part of her remained curious nonetheless.

"Anna, if I show you something…can you promise me never to tell anyone about it?" Elsa asked.

Anna looked in Elsa's eyes. The two sapphire blue orbs were filled with honesty, she knew that Elsa was about to share something secret with her.

"Of course. I would never tell anyone about you, Elsa."

"Very well. Here it is."

Slowly, Elsa took one of her gloves off, and held her hand in front of Anna. They both watched as small snowflakes began to form in the palm of Elsa's hand. The wind blew them into the air, quickly melting them, but more continued to form.

Anna was at a lost for words. Queen Elsa…had magic powers?

"That's…incredible!" Anna exclaimed. "How long have you been able to do that?"

Elsa quickly put her glove back on, ending the show of snowflakes. "All of my life, unfortunately," she answered.

"Is that a bad thing?"

Elsa sighed. "Yes, for me it is. I can't control my powers. I'm able to do amazing things with them, but they come with great risks as well. I could possibly hurt someone if I'm not careful."

"Is that why you never go outside?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. "My parents thought it would be best for me to stay hidden in the castle, because of my powers. They didn't want me to endanger anyone's life by exposing me to them. I spent my whole childhood, locked up in the castle, only watching the outside world through a window. I wear these gloves to control my powers. Without them, they become unstable. I love my people too much to risk hurting them with this curse of mine."

By now, Elsa was crying. Anna could see the tears dripping down her pale, white face. Elsa was much more vulnerable than she realized. These powers of hers caused her great pain and stress. Anna couldn't imagine what it must be like to carry this burden.

"Elsa, I don't think your powers are a curse. I think they're a gift, and you can control them if you want," Anna encouraged. "You just have to try."

"No, no, no. I've tried, but it doesn't work. It's beyond my control. For the safety of my people, I must remain inside for the rest of my days. It's not a happy life, but it's what's best for my people."

"But is it what's best for you?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked at Anna. For a brief moment, their eyes stared hungrily back at each other as if they two were trying to read each other's minds. Finally, Elsa spoke. "Yes, it is. Promise me you'll never reveal this secret about me."

"I promise," Anna stated.

"Good. We should get going now. I've had my fill of the outside world," Elsa said.

When they returned to the palace, Anna walked with Elsa back to her door. Before leaving to go do her chores, Elsa stopped her.

"Anna, this was one of the best afternoons I've had in quite some time," she said.

Anna's eyes widened in surprise. "All of it?" she asked.

"Yes. All of it," Elsa answered.

"See you for tea tomorrow?" Anna asked.

Elsa smiled. "I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

 **A/N: And Anna learns the truth about Elsa's powers. I seriously debated on whether or not to let Elsa have her powers in this AU. In the end, I decided that it would be too OOC if she didn't. The next chapter will focus on Kristoff some more. He's going to play a bigger role in this story. Anyway, please review! I'd love to hear your feedback!**


	8. A Friend

Chapter 8:

A Friend

* * *

When Anna arrived for work the next day, Elsa told her that instead of going straight to work, she was going to give Anna a tour of the castle. Naturally, Anna was surprised by this, but was excited just the same. The two walked through the hallways, where Elsa talked about each portrait that hung on the walls. She showed her the library, which must have contained thousands of books. Finally, the last stop on the tour was the parlor, situated just west of the entrance hall. Anna had never seen such fine furniture. She was reluctant to sit down on the sofa, but Elsa assured her that it was alright. Elsa asked for one of the servants to light the fireplace, and the two enjoyed watching the flames pop and crackle in front of them.

"It's funny. I would have thought you'd prefer the cold," Anna said.

Elsa laughed. "I actually do prefer the cold. Many people can't stand it, but it never bothered me."

"That makes sense," Anna said.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the fire in front of them. Finally, Anna spoke about a subject Elsa didn't think she would ever bring up.

"What do you know about Kristoff Bjorgmann?" Anna asked.

Elsa laughed. "You're asking a recluse about people? Anna, I think you've got the wrong person."

"Well, he delivers ice to the castle all the time. Surely, you know something about him," Anna suggested.

"Hmm. I know he delivers ice, but other than that I honestly don't know anything else about him. Why do you ask?"

"He seems like an interesting guy. A bit standoffish, but interesting nonetheless. I'd like to get to know him more."

"So why don't you talk to him the next time you see him?" Elsa suggested.

"I tried that, but he really doesn't like talking to me. I bet he's a loner himself," Anna figured.

"Perhaps. Maybe you should try talking about his reindeer. I've seen that he's very fond of him," Elsa said.

"Yeah. That's a good idea. Thanks, Elsa. You know, I love making new friends," Anna said.

"So I noticed," Elsa said.

"I think friendship is a very special thing," Anna said.

Elsa could tell where Anna was going with this, so she decided to change the subject. "How's your mother?"

"She's good. I haven't told her about us, I mean, working here at the castle, so you don't have to worry," Anna reassured.

"I see. Well, you only have a few more weeks here. Then you can go back to your life before you met me."

As true as this was, a part of Anna didn't want to quit her job at the castle. It was true that the work was very tedious, but getting to spend time with Queen Elsa was worth it. She was such a mysterious person. The recent revelation regarding her powers was a true trust exercise on Elsa's part. Elsa trusted her enough to reveal a truly powerful secret of hers. With this knowledge in mind, Anna wanted to get to know Elsa even more.

"Elsa, can I ask you something?" Anna asked.

"You just did technically, but yes, you may," Elsa joked.

"Why don't you show your powers to anyone?"

Elsa sighed. She thought about the matter for a moment, wondering how to best proceed.

"I told you before that it's too risky. I don't know how to control them. I might hurt somebody."

"But they're so beautiful," Anna said, remembering when Elsa first showed them to her.

Elsa looked at her hands, both of which had gloves of them. "That's your opinion, but I know the truth."

Anna watched as Elsa held both hands together as she hung her head. She could tell that despite Elsa's kind nature, she was a deeply troubled woman. What could she do to make Elsa change? Her mother used to say that if you want to change a person, they have to want to change. If that were true, then there was a dilemma, because Elsa didn't want to change. Anna didn't know what to do.

"Well, I must be getting back to my work, and you as well," Elsa said, standing up.

"Ok. Thanks for the advice about Kristoff. I'll try it. In the meantime, do you think you could give what I said some thought? About your powers I mean?"

Elsa took another long sigh, before responding. "Very well. I shall give it some thought. You may go now."

As Anna turned to leave the parlor, she said one last thing to Elsa. "I consider you to be my friend, Elsa. Just so you know."

"I know," Elsa replied.

Even though she didn't respond with the same words, Anna could feel that Elsa felt the same way about her.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I didn't know how to proceed with the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't be that long again. I have some ideas for the next one that will go more smoothly.**


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